DPD: Mother says she was cleaning gun when her 4-year-old was shot; girl expected to recover

DETROIT (FOX 2) - What started as an investigation into a four-year-old girl shot during an attempted robbery, could end with her mom in legal trouble. The good news is that the little girl is expected to recover.

A 4-year-old girl is in critical condition after being shot in the arm and leg, and her mother is in custody after changing her story about an attempted robbery - and admitting her gun went off while she was cleaning it.

"We’re trying to make everything line up with what the mom is telling us, we’re trying to piece it all together," said Detroit Police Chief James White. "The puzzle is not coming together the way it should at this point."

Police knew something was off from the very beginning.

"There is a traumatized baby, we pray to god the baby makes it through," said White.

It all started with Detroit police getting a call from Children’s Hospital.  A 4-year-old was shot in the arm and leg at an apartment building on Brush near E. Grand Blvd. She arrived at the hospital in critical condition.

White outlined the story first floated to police.

"As she was entering her home someone attempted to snatch her purse. when he was not successful snatching the purse, he fired multiple shots striking the 4-year-old child twice,"

That story began to unravel as police started investigating.

DPD says the mother later confessed that she accidentally shot her daughter while trying to clean her firearm.

Bill Kucyk, a firearm instructor and owner of Action Impact gun ranges, explains the first steps you’re supposed to take when cleaning a firearm.

"So the first thing I’m going to do, is release the magazine, which is done with the magazine release," he said. "And then, I’m going to put the slide back. I’m going to lock it back, so I can visually inspect my gun."

He says what happened there, could have easily been prevented.

"If you’re attempting to clean a firearm and the gun discharges -  then there’s absolutely no question that you violated at least a minimum of three basic firearm safety rules," Kucyk said.  "A: You had your finger on the trigger. B: You had the gun pointed at another human being. C: You didn’t check to see if that gun was loaded or unloaded.

"You made no attempt to unload that gun and chances are good you didn’t even know how to check."

Police say the girl's mother said the firearm was inside the apartment, but police did not find any gun there after getting a warrant and searching it. The investigation is ongoing. 

For more information on gun safety go to nssf.org/safety/rules-firearms-safety/